Australian man charged with planning terror attack following raids

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A 31-year-old man appeared in an Australian court on Sunday (Aug 7) charged with planning a terror attack, following a series of counter-terrorism police raids.

Phillip Galea was charged with acts done in preparation for a terrorist act and collecting or making documents likely to facilitate a terrorist act, after being arrested in police raids in Melbourne on Saturday.

Police did not give details of the target but said it was in the southern state of Victoria.

"I will be fighting these charges and I believe they are a conspiracy against the patriot movement," Galea told a Melbourne Magistrates' Court hearing during in a brief appearance on Sunday according to the Australian Associated Press.

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